


You Move So Fast Makes Me Feel Lazy

by fiction_bunny



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Break Up, M/M, also there's no smut i'm sorry, and harry doesn't have a single line in this, niall didn't even make a mention rip, there's only mentions of past sophiam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-30
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2018-04-01 22:25:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4036753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiction_bunny/pseuds/fiction_bunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We’re going to a club, you should …make a friend.” Louis uses air quotes on the last phrase, making Liam lift an eyebrow.</p><p>“A friend.”</p><p>Louis rolls his eyes. “Yes Liam, a friend. A friend you can take home and have great, satisfying, no-strings attached sex with, and forget about in the morning.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Move So Fast Makes Me Feel Lazy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zaynplusanyone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zaynplusanyone/gifts).



> this is for the beautiful zaynplusanyone who wanted a ziam rebound fic!! i hope this is sort of what you want! 
> 
> the title is from guns and horses by ellie goulding
> 
> enjoy!

Liam usually isn’t this behind on his game.

 

He hasn’t needed to, or even _wanted_ to flirt in so long that he’s completely forgotten how to play the field. And as he nurses his drink, watching people in various states of drunkenness flit around him left and right, he isn’t quite sure he wants to.

 

***

 

Liam got dumped on a Tuesday evening. It was about as amicable as a non-mutual break-up can be; Sophia had always been sweet and apparently that fact remains even while she’s ripping Liam’s heart out.

 

“You’re one of the best guys I know,” she’d told him, with the hint of an apologetic smile on her face, “but I just don’t feel the same way I used to feel about you. I’m sorry.” And what was he supposed to say to that?

 

So Liam didn’t say anything. He went home and got a bit drunk and cried on his roommate Louis’ shoulders, spent a week or so being heartbroken beyond belief until finally he could look at a picture of Sophia without feeling like he’d been kicked in the stomach. They’d been together for almost two and a half years, and they had been some of Liam’s happiest days; naturally, even after a full month had passed Liam still felt a bit hollow.

 

So he’d been keeping busy, throwing himself into his studies – being a music major took a lot more work than people thought – and minimizing his socializing to basically nothing. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a little isolation after going through a break up, Liam reasons after the sixth weekend of staying in, curled up on his sofa watching Iron Man for the tenth time. He’s not depressed or dwelling on anything, he just wants to get away from that kind of life right now.

 

It’s eventually Louis who pulls him out of it.

 

“That’s it,” his roommate proclaims, walking straight into Liam’s room unannounced as Liam lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. “You’re coming out with me and Harry tonight.” Liam sat up, sighing.

 

“We talked about this,” he begins, but Louis cuts him off.

 

“Nope! I’ve made the decision, Liam,” he says decidedly. “You need to get out and have some fun. I’m tired of seeing you mope around like the biggest sack of sad potatoes.”

 

Liam bit his lip, not quite knowing what to say. On the one hand, he had been moping for quite a long time, and maybe going out would be good for him. On the other hand, Liam didn’t want to admit to Louis that he was right, or acknowledge that ‘sack of sad potatoes’ comment. So he turned to whining.

 

“Why do I have to come out with you and Harry?” he asks, glaring at his roommate. “I don’t want to be the third wheel if I’m trying to have fun.”

“Then don’t be!” Louis shoots back, throwing his hands up. “We’re going to a club, you should …make a friend.” He uses air quotes on the last phrase, making Liam lift an eyebrow.

 

“A friend.”

 

Louis rolls his eyes. “Yes Liam, a friend. A friend you can take home and have great, satisfying, no-strings attached sex with, and forget about in the morning.”

 

“You mean a rebound?”

 

Louis shrugs. Liam groans, flopping back on the bed.

 

“It’ll be good for you!” Louis protests, and Liam sighs again.

 

“I’m not so sure, Louis,” he says, and it’s Louis’ turn to sigh.

 

“I know how hard this has been for you,” Louis says softly. “But you can’t stay cooped up in here all the time. I’ve been worried. So just come out with me and Harry, all right? Forget about the whole rebound thing, it’s just a couple’ve drinks with a few mates, okay? We’ll even try not to be coupley.”

 

Liam doesn’t think Louis and Harry can be within three feet of each other without being coupley, but he knows Louis means well, and who knows? Maybe he’ll have a good time.

***

Liam obviously spoke too soon.

 

The club was stuffy, too many people packed into one room, and it was dark and cloudy and _loud_ , to the point where he could barely hear Harry and Louis talk to him. And even without being able to hear them, the two acted so disgustingly in love that it made Liam sick. He’s sure that they don’t even notice, but every time they even glance at each other they’ve got this gross fond look across their faces that Liam used to find cute, but now only serves to remind him how alone he is. After a while, Liam waved the lovebirds off to the dance floor, tired of looking at them.

 

“I’m fine,” he said when Louis protested, an apologetic look on his face. “I’m really all right, go have fun, Lou.”

 

Louis bit his lip as he got up, saying “We’ll be back soon” as Harry lead him to the dance floor. Liam smiled in a way he hoped was encouraging, but was probably somewhere between super fake and pained.

 

It’s been at least forty minutes since then, and Louis and Harry are nowhere that Liam can see. It could just been the crowded club, but Liam has a feeling that they made a beeline for the club restroom after the DJ played a remix of Partition. He knows way more than he’d care to know about Louis and Harry’s relationship to that song.

 

So Liam finishes his drink, and immediately becomes annoyed with the crowded club as someone bumps into his stool. The impact makes the last drop of his drink slosh out onto his sleeve, and Liam curses as he stands, utterly fed up.

 

“I need some air,” he mutters, maneuvering his way to the back door of the club. He steps outside and leans his head against the cool brick of the building, letting his eyes flutter shut. He should have never agreed to this. He can’t ever do this kind of thing right; he’s never done well with hook-ups and the sort of effortless flirting that comes so easily to his friends. He’s made for relationships, not scouting clubs for a rebound.

 

Liam lets out a long sigh, finally opening his eyes. Which is when he realizes that he’s not alone.

 

“You all right, mate?”

 

The man in front of him was – was utterly _gorgeous_. He was about Liam’s age, and his face was perfectly sculpted, with prominent cheekbones and a sharp jawline. He was thin, not in an unattractive way, but in a way that made him seem almost dainty. However, nothing else about him was even close to dainty: he was sporting an undercut with his long dark hair, wearing a dark t-shirt with ripped jeans and a lit cigarette in his hand. His dark brown eyes were intense but had a hint of kindness in them that softened his bad-boy persona. Overall he gave off a vibe of being unapproachably approachable, which made Liam extremely nervous.

 

“I – uh, yeah I’m,” Liam stutters, in response to the man’s question. He raised an eyebrow at Liam, and Liam felt his face flush. “I’m good.”

 

The man smirks. “You look it.” His eyes flick up and down Liam so fast he isn’t sure if he’s imagining it or not. “But you sound stressed. You should relax a bit.”

 

“I’m not – I mean,” Liam stumbles over his words as he tries to take back the long suffering sigh he let out when he walked back behind the club. “I’m not really used to coming out to clubs like this.” Which is a lie, basically; he’s just not used to coming out alone. The thought reminds him why he came out here, and Liam can feel his mood drooping; maybe the man in front of him can tell, because he just silently offers up a cigarette to Liam. Liam hesitates, but as the man gestures for it, he takes it, muttering his thanks as he gives him a light.

 

“It’s no problem,” he replies. “You look like you need it, anyway.” He gives Liam another lopsided grin as Liam takes a drag. “’m name’s Zayn, by the way.”

 

 _“_ Liam.” _Zayn_. That’s a beautiful name, Liam thinks. It’s another second before he realizes that he’s spoken aloud, and he looks up in horror at Zayn, cheeks flushed once again. But Zayn is –smiling, so that his eyes crinkle and he looks such a contrast to his way of dress, and _why_ is that so attractive to Liam –

 

“Thanks,” Zayn says, smile settling a bit as a mischievous look creeps into his eyes, “though I bet you say that kind of fluffy shit to everyone you wanna sleep with.”

 

“No!” Liam says, getting even more flustered. “I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true,” he insists, and Zayn raises an eyebrow.

 

“So you want to sleep with me?”

 

“No!” Liam says quickly, instantly regretting it. “Wait – I mean –“ Liam’s eyes wide as images fill his head, of Zayn under him, head tipped back and eyes closed in pleasure, him moaning high pitched into Liam’s mouth –

He looks up to see Zayn watching him, a smirk on his face. Liam doesn’t think he’s ever been this flustered, doesn’t usually get this flustered around attractive people, but Zayn goes even beyond that. “I mean – if you wanted – but, that’s not to say –“

 

And Zayn laughs. _Giggles_ , even, and it’s the weirdest mix of hot and cute and Liam doesn’t quite know what to do with it; he takes another drag off the cigarette to calm his nerves, flushing again. Finally, Zayn calms down, smiling that same smile from before.

 

“You’re cute,” he says, turning toward Liam. And Liam doesn’t know what to do, what he’s done to deserve being called cute by the most beautiful person in the world, but here they are, and Zayn is leaning in towards him, whispering “You’re so cute,” as he presses his lips to Liam’s.

 

Liam stood still for a moment, partly because of how long it’d been since he’d been kissed, but partly because of _Zayn_ , this person he’s literally just met but who is so beautiful, and so complex, and Liam finds himself wanting to figure him out. So he finally comes to his senses, opening his mouth into the kiss and pressing closer to Zayn, who responded in earnest, hands dropping to Liam’s biceps. Liam grabs Zayn’s hips as he licks into his mouth, delighting in the way Zayn gives up the lead. He wants to find out if that bad-boy collected persona will melt away if Liam gets him in bed. He brings his hands around to Zayn’s ass, squeezing slightly, and Zayn moans softly before they break apart for air.

 

“You’re quite an enigma,” Zayn says between kisses, which makes Liam’s brow furrow.

 

“What?”

 

“Surprising.” Zayn confirms, sliding his hands down Liam’s sides. “You’re surprising.”

 

“You’re one to talk,” Liam replies after a moment, lips pressed against Zayn’s neck. Zayn sighs as Liam bites and licks at a spot right below his jaw. “You’re so gorgeous,” Liam continues. “You’re beautiful, so much so that you’re – you’re _intimidating_ , but you’re so cute, and hot, and I just – _want_ you-“ Zayn pushes his lips to Liam’s, letting Liam push him back against the wall of the club as he grinds their hips together. He feels insane, because he wants so much but he shouldn’t, because he barely even knows Zayn and he’s spent the last month mourning a two-year long relationship, and he shouldn’t be able to just feel this way about someone after all that. 

 

They continue to make out against the side of the club until two club goers stumble out of the back door, laughing drunkenly and effectively breaking Liam out of this trance that he fell under as soon as he set eyes on Zayn.  Zayn isn’t smiling anymore; he’s got that intense look in his eyes again, and Liam’s sure his gaze matches. He’s never felt this way about someone he’s just met, whose last name he doesn’t even know. He feels a bit drunk even though he’s only had two beers tonight. There’s a beat where they just look at each other, before Zayn breaks the silence.

 

“My flat’s about two blocks from here.” He’s not looking directly at Liam, as if he’s maybe a bit shy about asking, and Liam understands. He hesitates a second, because he hasn’t been with someone who wasn’t Sophia in so long, and he’s not sure he should be jumping into bed with someone this soon, considering he’s never had casual sex before. But he takes a second look at Zayn; they’re the same height, but Zayn’s head is tilted downward, so when he meets Liam’s eyes it’s almost as if he’s looking up into them. And it’s too much for Liam to handle. He kisses Zayn, smiling as he pulls back.

 

“Perfect.”

 

***

 

When Liam wakes up in the morning, he’s alone in Zayn’s flat, and he sighs heavily as he collects his clothes from where they’ve been scattered across the floor of Zayn’s room. The part of casual sex he so wasn’t looking forward to – the walk of shame. Once he’s dressed he goes out to leave, but before he leaves, he catches sight of a note on the door. _Had to work_ , it reads, _but if you want we can meet up again? You’re too cute to let go_ :) _text me_. The words are scribbled a bit messily, and Liam wonders if Zayn had been debating leaving the note at all, and scribbled it last minute. Nevertheless, he smiles as he plugs Zayn’s number into his phone. As Liam makes his way home, he can’t help but realize this is the happiest he’s been since Sophia ended things with him. And he’s – for once – happy to tell Louis that he was right – going out, and meeting Zayn, was definitely the best thing that’s happened to him in a long time.

 

 


End file.
